Darkness Prevails
by Gema J. Gall
Summary: FINISHED Yami Marik wins Battle City.
1. Defeat

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction**

**Darkness Prevails**

By: Gema J. Gall

Disclaimer: I do not have any legal claims on Yu-Gi-Oh! I do have authoress claims on Shayla. I do not have originality claims on Drake, Lara, or Kevin. However, I do have fangirl claims on Seto Kaiba.

AN/ If you are new to my Yu-Gi-Oh! fics you might like to read Shayla's Story to give you an idea about the OCs I use.

"No! Yu-Gi!" cried Téa.

"AGHHHHHH!" screamed Yami as the Winged Dragon of Ra attacked.

Yami Marik laughed as flames engulfed his opponent, obliterating Slifer the Sky Dragon in the process. With a small beep, Yami's life points hit 0. The Shadow Realm dispersed.

The flames dispersed around Yami. He was lying unconscious, splayed across the ground. He looked even worse than Joe did when he lost to Yami Marik. His breathing was ragged. It was like he had been badly hurt, though he had no bruises or abrasions to show it. Yami Marik was laughing his head off. He had won. The power of the world was now his.

"No! It can't be!" exclaimed Tristan. "There's no way Yu-Gi could lose!"

"He's hurt bad!" exclaimed Duke.

"No," sobbed Serenity. "Not again, not again."

Kaiba, in a rare display of kindness for his rival, was already ordering the medical wing's staff to come and pick up their next patient from the hidden microphone on the collar of his trench coat.

"And now, to claim what is rightfully mine at last!" laughed Yami Marik as he approached the unconscious body of Yami.

He flipped Yami over onto his back easily and pulled the Millennial Puzzle off of his neck. No longer connected, Yu-Gi took control. However, he was as unconscious as Yami was.

"Keep your mitts off of my friend!" Tristan yelled, already trying to scramble up the sides of the duel platform.

"And now, to strip you of your god card," chuckled Yami Marik. He picked Slifer off of the Duel Disk.

The Millennial Rod began to pulse from its place in Yami Marik's belt.

"What is this?" asked Yami Marik to no one in particular. Then he smirked. "How could I forget the Millennial Necklace?" He reached into Yu-Gi's jacket pocket and pulled out the necklace.

"Hey! This is an official tournament!" exclaimed Rollin, the official. "You are entitled to his rarest card, according to Battle City rules, but you can't rob him!"

Yami Marik glared at him, and that was enough to cause the official to gulp. But by that time both Tristan and Duke had scrambled onto the dueling platform and placed themselves between Yami Marik and Yu-Gi. Their barricade, however, would not hold if Yami Marik tried anything. They knew it, but they could not let him hurt their friend any more.

"Get away from him!" ordered Tristan.

"You've already done enough!" spat Duke.

"Do you think you mortals threaten me?" laughed Yami Marik. He tossed the Millennial Puzzle a few inches into the air and caught it. "I now have the ultimate source of power, and nothing will stop me!"

"That's Yu-Gi's you punk!" exclaimed Duke.

"Not any more. He lost it to me!" laughed Yami Marik.

"Clear the field! This is poor sportsmanship!" ordered Rollin.

No one seemed to hear him.

_"I can't believe Yu-Gi actually lost,"_ thought Kaiba. Then, a bit more bitterly,_ "That reflects very poorly on me, since I lost to Yu-Gi. That means…Marik is the winner of my tournament."_ His normal frown was back with reinforcements.

Before it could get physical, three doctors from the medical wing arrived with a stretcher and first aid kit. They had done this enough. They raced to the unconscious duelist and began to work immediately. Yami Marik flounced off, still laughing.

"Yu-Gi!" exclaimed Téa, joining her friends on the dueling platform. "Please! Say something! Open your eyes!"

"Not again," groaned Kevin. He looked down sadly, feeling helpless.

"Give us space to work," said one of the doctors to the teens. They all silently complied.

"This has gotten way out of hand Seto," said Mokuba to his older brother. Kaiba did not reply.

"This is bad," Lara said to Drake as they watched from where they had been standing the whole time.

"I know," agreed Drake. "The worst part is there is nothing we can do."

The medical team had finished strapping Yu-Gi to the stretcher.

"Give us room!" ordered one of the doctors. "And no one in the medical wing until we are done working!"

"B-But…" stammered Téa.

"That's an order," said the doctor as they began to wheel Yu-Gi away. But one of the doctors walked over to Seto Kaiba.

"Sir, we need to talk," said the doctor. He looked around. "There is something you should know, and I want you to be the first to know." He was talking quietly, trying not to be overheard. His tone was dead serious.

Kaiba nodded. "This way." He led the doctor to the elevator opposite of the one the others had taken Yu-Gi down. Neither said anything until the elevator doors were shut and the elevator was moving.

"What is it?" asked Kaiba, bluntly.

"It's the girl that was in the medical wing," said the doctor. "Mai Valentine."

"Yes? What about her?"

"Only a few moments before you radioed us for our assistance here…she…she flat-lined."

"What?" asked Kaiba in disbelief.

"We did everything we could," said the doctor, sadly. "But we could not revive her…"

"You're not saying…"

"She's dead sir."

Kaiba stood, not knowing what to say at all. He had never imagined, or even considered something like this happening. He was stunned.

"When should we tell the others?" asked the doctor.

"…Soon," sighed Seto Kaiba.

The elevator went silent. It was rather awkward, so to fill it the doctor started talking again. Talking was a distraction. It made it possible not to think about the tragedy that had just happened.

"The other patient, Joseph Wheeler is showing no signs of improvement. Oddly, at the same time Miss Valentine flat-lined, his vital signs all dropped significantly. If things do not change soon, I fear the worst for him too."

"Is it really that serious?" asked Kaiba.

The doctor nodded. "Bakura Ryou is nowhere to be located. Odion Ishtar, our other patient was transferred at the request of Miss Ishtar. She says that he is the same, but we are pleading with her to let us examine him anyways, given the sudden drop in our other patients' health."

"And what do you think about Yu-Gi Motou?" asked Kaiba.

"All I know is that he is in worse shape than Mr. Wheeler when we brought him in," said the doctor.

The elevator stopped. The moment the doors opened, Kaiba was practically speed walking back to the airship.


	2. The Missing Piece

The gang; Téa, Tristan, Duke, Serenity, Drake, Lara, and Kevin were all waiting outside of the medical wing. They were all getting irritated that they could not go in to see their friends. Then one of the staff emerged. He had a grim look on his face. He knew what he would have to tell them, and he didn't want to.

"What's going on?!" demanded Tristan, stopping his anxious pacing. "How's Yu-Gi?!"

"Yu-Gi Motou is in critical condition, but we managed to stabilize him," said the doctor.

"Will he make it? Is he going to be okay?" asked Téa.

"In all honesty, I do not know," sighed the doctor.

"Oh no!" gasped Serenity.

"It's not fair!" exclaimed Kevin. "Why does this keep happening?"

"We are doing everything we can," said the doctor.

"Can we go in and see Yu-Gi and the others yet?" asked Drake, sounding impatient.

"A few more moments…" hesitated the doctor.

"But I want to see my brother!" exclaimed Serenity. "Please let us in!"

"There is more I must tell you before you enter," admitted the doctor. "During the duel, Mr. Wheeler's vital signs have dropped considerably."

"NO!" exclaimed Serenity, bursting into tears.

"That can't be true," said Tristan. "It can't be!"

"I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you all of this," said the doctor, looking down sadly.

"I don't think this day can get any worse," groaned Duke.

"There is one more thing…" started the doctor.

"Hurry up then so we can enter," snapped Drake.

"I am sorry…we did everything we could," the doctor stammered. He took a deep breath. "During the duel, Miss Valentine flat-lined. We did everything we could…but we couldn't save her."

The group fell deathly quiet for several eternal seconds.

"Are you saying….Mai is dead?" stuttered Lara.

"…yes."

"No…that…that's impossible," stammered Téa. "It's…she…"

Serenity was crying even harder. Tristan and Duke both put an arm around her at the same moment. They glared briefly at each other, but the somber news had killed any feeling of rivalry for the time being.

"… You may enter now," said the doctor, slowly. He opened to door for them. The teens filed passed, hardly saying a word.

Yu-Gi had the bed closest to the door. Joe was next to him, both unmoving. Mai was still laid out on the bed next to Joe, but the sheet had been pulled up to cover the body. The next bed, which was Odion's, was empty. The bed by the wall was Bakura's. The curtains were drawn around it, hiding the fact that Bakura was no longer there.

"Oh, Joe!" sobbed Serenity, collapsing beside her brother's bed.

"Yu-Gi, man, you have to hang in there," said Tristan, standing beside him.

"I don't know what to do," said Téa, biting back tears.

"None of this should have ever happened," said Kevin, bitterly. He was standing in the doorway still.

Words fail to describe the looks on the faces of the teens as they looked around the room with so many of their peers in critical condition. Hopeless, depressed, miserable, mourning, didn't even come close.

Drake took a deep breath and let it go slowly. "Marik is still on the loose, and he has the puzzle. He needs to be stopped, or what we see here will only multiply."

"And what do you suggest we do?" asked Duke.

"I don't know, but we should be able to come up with something if we all put our heads together," admitted Drake.

"What we need to do is get Joe and Yu-Gi to a real hospital!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Shouldn't that emergency helicopter be here by now?" asked Lara.

As if answering, Mokuba ran in, a bit breathless.

"Mokuba? What is it?" asked Kevin.

"I have bad news," said the boy.

"I don't think we can take any more bad news," said Téa, glancing over at the beds.

Mokuba followed her gaze, then looked down. "I know, Seto told me…"

"Mokuba, where is that emergency helicopter?" asked Tristan. "We really could use it about now."

"That's the bad news," said Mokuba. "There's a storm rolling in north-west of here. It's not going to hit us, or Domino City, too badly…"

"And the bad news?" asked Duke.

"The storm is directly between us and Domino City. It is bad enough to force the helicopter back to the mainland," said Mokuba, dejectedly. "Nothing can get to us until the storm is over. We've even lost our connection with the mainland…"

"What about the repairs on this airship?" demanded Tristan. "Can we leave any time soon?"

"It won't be soon…" said Mokuba.

"Come on! There has to be something we can do! Joe and Yu-Gi need major help!" exclaimed Drake.

"Can you contact Industrial Illusions any way?" asked Duke.

"If they can't reach Kaiba Corp. on the mainland, I can't reach Industrial Illusions," admitted Drake with a sigh. "It's even farther inland."

"Are you saying we are helpless here?!" demanded Tristan.

"We doing everything we can," Mokuba said.

"That hasn't been good enough!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Calm down, will you?" asked Lara. "Yelling is not going to solve anything."

Seto Kaiba entered.

"Oh, great," groaned Kevin, casually distancing himself from Kaiba.

"This is all your fault!" snapped Tristan, changing targets. "If you would have just swallowed your pride and gotten help when they needed it, they wouldn't be so bad off now!"

"I'm not about to play the blame game," said Kaiba, glaring at Tristan before moving on.

"He listens really well…" muttered Lara.

Kaiba ignored the group and went right over to the doctor and started questioning him. They talked quietly, so no one else heard him. But before they broke off the conversation, the doctor looked down and shook his head slowly.

Kaiba turned and walked over to Yu-Gi Motou. There were no emotions on his face, no whatsoever. Seto was the only one to notice something in Yu-Gi's clutched hand. No one else seemed to be watching him, so he quickly pulled it out. Kaiba could barely contain a gasp when he recognized the object he was holding. He knew it all too well. It was Obelisk the Tormentor.

_"I bet this was the only card in Yu-Gi's hand the moment he lost the duel,"_ thought Kaiba. While his sole purpose in Battle City had been to gather all the god cards for himself, he always played by honor. He was about to (very reluctantly) put Obelisk back into Yu-Gi's deck on his duel disk. Yami Marik's entrance stopped that.

The pineapple head entered. Everyone paused what they were doing, giving him death glares. Yami Marik merely glanced at them before walking over to Yu-Gi.

"Get away from him!" exclaimed Tristan, ready to stop the rod-bearer. He got right into Yami Marik's face, not seeming to care about what happened to everyone else who had crossed him.

Yami Marik smirked evilly at him. "I have merely came for what is rightfully mine."

"Then you are looking in the wrong place!" snapped Drake.

Yami Marik ignored him, "I need the Millennial Puzzle and all three of the god cards to unleash the power of the pharaoh. I have come to claim the last god card, Obelisk the Tormentor! Now stand aside!" Kaiba discretely slipped Obelisk into his own pocket.

"No," growled Tristan, once more placing himself in between Yami Marik and Yu-Gi.

Kaiba pushed Tristan to the side, giving him room to confront Yami Marik. Kaiba responded to Yami Marik's glare with one of his own.

"According to the rules, you only get one card," said Kaiba, in a dangerously low tone. "You won Slifer, so you have no claim on Obelisk. Now get out of here before you regret it!"

"Do you think your threats scare me?" asked Yami Marik. He gripped the rod, ready to use it.

"Get out Marik," said Kaiba in the same low tone.

Yami Marik raised the rod. Kaiba had seen this out of the corner of his eyes. He grabbed it too, just above where Yami Marik had.

_"How can this be?!"_ thought Yami Marik. _"The rod…it…hesitates in obeying me!"_

A physical struggle had begun. Kaiba was slowly forcing Yami Marik out of the hospital wing, not that he had far to go.

"Try anything again Marik," growled Kaiba as he shoved Yami Marik.

"You had better be careful Kaiba," threatened Yami Marik. "Or you will find yourself regretting your actions!" He turned and started to walk away.

Still enraged, Kaiba quickly took off after him.

"He still won't stop," sobbed Serenity in the hospital wing. "And he's hurt so many people…"

"Marik is dangerous," agreed Drake. "I don't think anyone should be wandering around alone until he is dealt with."

"I have to agree," said Tristan.

Mokuba looked around the room. "Where's Shayla?"

Surprised, the rest of the gang quickly surveyed the room, only to realize she had not been there.

"Where is she?" asked Lara.

"Let's see…" said Téa, thinking out-loud. "She wanted to stay with Mai while Yu-Gi and Marik dueled." A lump caught in her throat.

"I don't mean to eavesdrop, but are you looking for the blind girl?" asked one of the doctors.

"Yes."

"She was here when Miss Valentine…died," said the doctor. "She ran off then. She was very upset."

"Poor Shayla," said Téa. "I didn't think about what this would be like for her…"

"What do you mean, Téa?" asked Kevin.

"Well, she was roommates with Mai," said Téa. "They were closer than they let on…and Shayla doesn't have many people she's close with…after she lost Luther."

"Who?"

"Talk to her about that," said Téa. "I think someone should go find her."

"You're right," agreed Duke. "Especially with the psychopath still running around."

"I'll go," volunteered Téa.

"You shouldn't go alone, I'll go with you," said Lara.

"Okay," agreed Téa. "I bet she's in her room."

"We won't be too long," said Lara as the two girls left.


	3. Fighting the Darkness

"Shayla? Shayla?" asked Téa as she knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"Maybe she isn't in there," suggested Lara.

Téa tried the doorknob. "It's locked tight…"

"What do we do now?" asked Lara.

"Well, Shayla probably would have answered if she was here, so I guess she's somewhere else in this ship," said Téa, thoughtfully. "I guess we have to keep looking."

"I don't feel like roaming around when Marik could be anywhere," shivered Lara.

"Well, let's head back and talk with the others," said Téa. "Maybe they have an idea where Shayla went."

"I hope so, she shouldn't be alone, not now," said Lara as both girls retraced their steps through the many hallways of the airship.

They hurried back into the hospital wing, where everyone else was sitting, looking morbid. They were all still in shock over Mai's death and afraid that something equally bad might happen to one of their other unconscious friends. They looked up, an expression of hopelessness in all of their eyes.

"Find her?" asked Tristan.

Téa shook her head, "No one answered at her room, so we think she's somewhere else." She walked over and sat down in an empty chair between Joe and Yu-Gi's beds.

"Any ideas where she might be?" asked Lara. "Because we don't know where to begin searching."

"No idea," replied Drake. "What about the dining hall?"

"It's a possibility," said Téa, thoughtfully. "Come to think of it…Shayla hasn't been showing up for meals regularly since Mai got hurt…."

"I don't like any of this one bit," grumbled Duke, looking around the room.

"I know," said Kevin, sadly.

It went quite. During this time, Serenity's sobs could be heard. She was sitting opposite of Téa, beside her brother. Serenity had buried her face in her hands, resting her head on the edge of Joe's bed. She had been crying her eyes out since she had entered the room.

"Serenity, please, pull yourself together," said Tristan, though he didn't sound very convincing. He stood behind her, one hand placed firmly on her shoulder. "Joe would want you to be strong for him, just like he was strong for you."

"But…but," sobbed Serenity. "If anyth-th-thing happens…"

"Joe's got a strong will, he'll pull through," said Duke. Serenity didn't answer this time; she just continued to sob.

"If…If we can stop Marik," said Téa, in a broken tone. "Maybe….I think all of this will stop and everyone will wake up."

"How do you suggest we do that, Téa?" asked Duke. "Marik has two god cards now. And Yu-Gi lost to him…the odds aren't good at all for the rest of us."

"But, Téa does have a point," said Tristan. "There has to be a way to end all of this."

"It all seems so hopeless," sighed Duke, quiet enough that he wouldn't get a lecture.

"Something needs to be done," said Drake, giving Duke a hard look.

"Ugh…" Joe groaned.

"What?! No way!" exclaimed Kevin as everyone raced to his bedside.

"Joe! Brother! Say something!" cried Serenity, looking up and taking on of her brother's hands. Her face was wet from crying, and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Come on man! You can pull through this!" added Tristan.

Joe groaned again and his eyes fluttered a bit, "S-S-Ser-ren-nit-ty…"

"I'm here brother!"

"Serenity? Ugh…"

"Come on! Focus Joe!" urged Téa.

"My head…" moaned Joe.

His eyed opened, although they didn't seem to be focusing on anything in particular. He seemed to be a bit of a daze. Nonetheless, it was a definite improvement over his previous condition. Everyone present seemed to be holding their breath, hoping for the best but fearing for the worst.

"Joe, look at me!" begged Serenity.

"It's so dark in here…" he said, so softly it was practically a whisper.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tristan. "There's plenty of lights on."

"He lost a Shadow Game…" said Drake with a low tone. "And it's effecting him."

"Are you okay brother? Please!" begged Serenity.

"Serenity," said Joe. He sounded like he hadn't had a drink of water in days. "Don't…worry…I'm…ugh…"

"Is there anything I can do?" Tristan asked him. "Do you need anything Joe?"

"M-Mai…" he stammered. Everyone fell silent, as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. "Mai…I f-failed…her."

There was a dry sob from Serenity.

"We can't tell him what happened," Duke said quietly and quickly. "I don't think he could handle it."

"I have too…I must…" stammered Joe. "Mai…Yu-Gi…promised…have to help…beat Marik."

"Brother! I'm here!" exclaimed Serenity. "Please look at me!" But Joe's eyes remained glazed over, staring vacantly at a random spot on the ceiling.

"Come on Joe, we're here for you," said Téa. "We aren't going to leave you."

"It's dark," Joe said. "C-cold…I feel…alone."

"You're not alone!" exclaimed Kevin. "We're right beside you bro!"

Joe went quiet, and for a moment everyone thought he had blacked out again.

Serenity started crying again, "No! Don't go!"

"Serenity…I promised you…" said Joe. His head turned a bit towards her. "The beach…we're going to go…I promised…"

"I know," sobbed Serenity, picking up his pinky finger with her own. "I want to go to the beach with you. So you have to get better, promise me, brother."

"Promised to save Mai…Promised to help Y-Yu-Gi," he stammered. "Can't…give up."

"That's right, keep fighting it Joe," said Drake.

"Serenity," Joe said, clearer than anything he had muttered yet. "Be strong…I want…You have to…take care…"

"I will Joe, I will," Serenity said, quickly.

"I…I want you to know…I'm a-always here…with you," he said, his voice growing softer. "…no matter what…I'm with…you." His eyes slid closed again.

"Joe! No! Stay awake!" screamed Serenity. "Please! Talk to me!"

"So…dark…" he whispered, before he completely blacked out.

"JOE!" cried Serenity, once again crying.

"He…He just needs his rest," said Lara.

"Yeah, that's how he'll heal," added Tristan. "Joe will pull through this. He just needs some time to recover."

"Well, I'll say that was a good sign," said Duke.

"I agree," said Kevin. "Just watch, Joe will be on his feet in no time."

"Calm down Serenity," said Téa, handing her a tissue. "He's just sleeping."

_"I wish it was that easy,"_ thought Drake, grimly. _"But we're talking about the results of a Shadow Game…"_


	4. Yami Marik's Soul Room

Yami Marik chuckled to himself as he entered his room. The Millennial Puzzle was in one hand, the two god cards he possessed in the other. The Millennial Ring hung around his neck. In his pocket was the Millennial Necklace. And his prized Millennial Item, the rod, was hooked in his belt. He had the power of the pharaoh, and was only missing one card to unlocking power to claim the world.

Yami Marik also now possessed more than half of the Millennial Items. He was seriously considering claiming the rest. The Millennial Scales were on the airship, and they would be an easy target. The Millennial Key would be a bit harder, given the phantom-like habits of its bearer. But the Millennial Eye would be the hardest, because somehow Yami Bakura had maintained his possession of it, even after losing his body. Nonetheless, Yami Marik had the ring, and with it access to the thief's soul.

_"Obelisk the Tormentor is on this ship somewhere,"_ he told himself, smiling wickedly. _"There is no way it will escape my grasp. And perhaps, I'll go after the remaining Millennial Items next, as soon as I have claimed the power to rule the world. Then, nothing will be able to stop me!"_ He laughed to himself. It was a laugh that would drive any sane person into hiding. _"But first for a little fun."_

He leaned back and entered his own mind. It would have been a very interesting sight, but it would require the Millennial Key to see. At first glance, it seemed like there was only one soul room. That's because Yami Marik had grown so strong that his soul room had completely engulfed Marik's soul room. So, there was one soul room trapped within a much large, much eviler soul room.

But that wasn't the end of it. Yami Marik now had two more souls at his mercy, courtesy of the fact that he had won two Millennial Items with souls trapped in them. Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura were now also prisoners within his mind, along with good Marik. There also was another prisoner. Bakura was trapped within Yami Bakura's mind, the prisoner of a prisoner.

It wouldn't be possible to look at this situation and just see soul rooms. Each person's mind resembled what he looked like in reality. It was similar to the times Yu-Gi and Yami walked through each other's minds.

Yami Marik entered his own soul room. His soul room would scare any rational person. The walls were cold, yellowish sandstone bricks, prison walls. Chains hung from the ceiling and shackles from the walls. Things like whips, maces, and thumbscrews, as well as a rack and an iron maiden lined the bulk of the walls. In the middle was a long table covered with daggers and swords of various lengths and shapes. His soul room was a torture chamber.

Yami Marik had pulled Yami's soul out of the Millennial Puzzle and was now dragging him by the neck. Yami was still exhausted from the duel he had lost and hardly could struggle. Yami Marik dragged him to the back end of the room. There, he tied Yami's forearms together and connected them to one of the chains suspended from the ceiling. Yami's arms were crossed, so that his hands hung just over his elbows above his head. They were tied at the middle of the forearm, so that he was forced to remain standing. To his right Marik was tied in an identical position. But Marik seemed to be even less conscious than Yami. His head drooped to his chest and he was hanging by his arms, his feet doing little more than brushing the ground. They were not supporting his weight at all. To Marik's right Yami Bakura was tied up. He was bruised and cut in several places, but he seemed furious more than anything.

"So the great pharaoh has finally fallen," spat Yami Bakura.

"Ugh…" groaned Yami, trying to come to his senses.

"I am going to enjoy making the last moments of your life the most painful moments you have ever lived," Yami Marik laughed.

"…what…?" asked Yami, dazed.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you immediately," said Yami Marik with an evil smirk. "I'm going to make it long and painful." He turned to his barely conscious hikari. "However, this one will die today."

Yami stood straighter. He was still a bit disoriented, but it was fast fading. "Marik!"

Yami Marik laughed. "Enjoy your stay here pharaoh, because it will be the last place you ever see." He paused, smiling evilly, enjoying making Yami squirm. "I think I'll target your friends next. I need someone to test my new powers on."

"If you lay one finger on them!" growled Yami. He tried to pull forward, but the chains around his arms refused to budge.

Yami Marik laughed, "You can't do anything about it." With that, he left his soul room to plot harm to those who weren't prisoners in his mind.

Yami Yu-Gi began to struggle against his bonds without luck.

"Try all you want, pharaoh," said Yami Bakura, sharply. "You won't be able to break free."

"I must help my friends!" retorted Yami Yu-Gi.

Yami Bakura made a chortling noise, "They'll be long dead before you even get close to getting out of here."

"I'm not going to give up!"

"Ugh…" groaned Marik.

"Marik?" asked Yami.

Marik shook his head once, as if to clear it, but he did not raise it. "Pharaoh?"

"How…How is this possible?" Yami asked. He looked up at the door. "Who was that?"

"That…that was my darker side," said Marik, although he still sounded a bit confused. "He was created within my own heart, and now…now he is stronger than I am…"

"That's what Ishizu meant!" gasped Yami. Marik went quiet, struggling to stay awake.

"You're a fool," spat Yami Bakura.

Yami looked over and returned to intense glare with one of his own. "What have you done with Bakura?"

"None of your concern!" snapped Yami Bakura.

"I'm making it! Bakura is my friend. What have you done with him?" asked Yami.

"He's alive," replied Yami Bakura, glowering.

"I swear if you have harmed him in any way…!" started Yami.

"You had better be more concerned for yourself!" snapped Yami Bakura. "Because if that evil spirit doesn't kill you first, you can bet I will!"

Yami made a low, threatening noise in the back of his throat. However, since both of them were tied up, they couldn't be a real threat to each other. The chains that held them would not release them until Yami Marik allowed them too.

"A slow, painful death is what you deserve!" yelled Yami Bakura, venomously. "You deserve everything that happens to you in here! I only regret it's not me who will bring you to your knees!"

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Yami.

Yami Bakura glared at him with a look of pure hatred. "You deserve to suffer for all the pain you brought to others 5,000 years ago, pharaoh!" Every time he said 'pharaoh' it sounded almost like a curse.

"What?" asked Yami, now sounding completely baffled.

"Don't tell me you don't remember the events of your life!"

Yami looked back blankly for a moment, before his eyes flickered to the ground.

"You really don't remember," said Yami Bakura, who now sounded a bit surprised.

The expression on Yami Yu-Gi's face answered it without words.

Yami Bakura, however, was far from showing pity, "Your cursed soul brought the deaths of hundreds and the near destruction of Egypt1!"

(1See the Pharaoh's Memory saga in the mangas and anime.)

"You lie!" snapped Yami.

"Think that if you like, but I know it is true," Yami Bakura retorted. "And, unlike you, I remember what happened!" It was hard to tell who's face showed more disdain at that moment. They were both death-glaring at each other. "That's why you deserve every misery you get!"

"I wouldn't be talking, thief!" yelled Yami. "You're trapped here too! And I doubt you'll be spared any suffering from that psychopath!"

"A small price to pay to watch you put in your place!"

"Listen, we're both trapped here. Alone we cannot hope to escape, but maybe if we work together…"

"I'd rather die that help you!!!"

Yami Bakura had spoken so harshly that his voice echoed strangely off of the stone walls of Yami Marik's soul room. His tone was so final that it left Yami Yu-Gi with nothing else to say. In the silence, Marik struggled to get his feet back underneath himself.

"Marik! Are you okay?" asked Yami, turning his attention away from Yami Bakura.

"Save your breath, pharaoh, he's beyond hope," said Yami Bakura.

Yami ignored him. "Marik, are you okay?" he repeated.

"Ugh…pharaoh?" asked Marik, weakly.

"Yes," replied Yami. There was an unmistakable grunt from Yami Bakura.

"I…I'm so sorry f-for everything I did to you and your friends," said Marik without raising his head.

"I don't hold…" started Yami but Marik continued.

"You must…you have to promise me th-that you'll get out…of here," he replied. "Promise…"

"I'll do everythi—"

"Please…promise me…" said Marik. "Please tell my sister…tell Ishizu that I'm s-sorry and th-that I love her. And…tell…tell Odion…tell my brother that…" He coughed several times before he could continue. "Tell my brother that…I was wrong…he is…part of the f-family."

"I will," replied Yami. "But you must hang in there! I am sure they would rather hear it from you than me! You will make it out of here! Somehow, we will escape."

"You're a fool," said Yami Bakura. "And soon you'll be a dead fool." Again he was ignored.

"Marik, look at me," said Yami. Marik didn't move.

THUD! The door of Yami Marik's soul room was shoved open so quickly and forcefully that it hit the wall. Yami Marik entered, his eyes laughing at his three prisoners.

"Let us go!" demanded Yami.

"Shout all you want pharaoh, but you are going nowhere," replied Yami Marik with a deadly smirk. He walked over to the table in the middle of the room and began to look over the assortment of knives. He selected one towards the right end. It was rather short, hardly more than a razor, but it was very, very sharp. Holding it, he turned to his prisoners. Yami Bakura and Yami both seemed equally nervous. Marik was still staring at the ground and hadn't noticed.

Yami Marik walked up to Marik, "Now you're going to die."

"Leave him alone!" snapped Yami.

Yami Marik turned to him. "I think you'll be interested in this. Because you will be next." Before Yami could reply, Yami Marik slugged him hard in his unprotected stomach. Yami jerked like he was going to double over, but the chains stopped him. He had lost his balance, thus putting all of his weight on his arms. That in itself was surprisingly painful. Yami Marik chuckled before turning back to his first victim.

"You thought you were better than me," said Yami Marik to Marik. Marik did not move. "You thought you could get rid of me. But now I will be the one to get rid of you." Still, Marik did not respond. "Don't worry, you won't be alone long. I'll send your sister and brother to join you!" Marik inhaled sharply, but did not look up. "Do you think you're too good to look me in the eye?"

Yami Marik put the knife to the left side of Marik's throat, forcing him to raise his head. He kept the pressure on until Marik could raise his head no further. Yami gasped when he saw Marik's face. His head was tilted to the right, so Yami had a good view. Marik's left eye was swollen badly where his dark side had punched him before. His lip was split and there was a trickle of blood that had dried on his chin. Marik winced and closed his eyes.

"Not so arrogant now, are you?" taunted Yami Marik. Marik said nothing. Yami Marik laughed and circled behind his hikari. "You'll be begging for death before I am done with you."

"You fiend!" snapped Yami.

Yami Marik said nothing. He slashed the back of Marik's shirt open, revealing the tattoo that had been forced on him on his tenth birthday. Marik gasped, having a good idea about what was going to happen next.

Yami Bakura, however, had no clue. "What the heck are you doing?!"

"If I was in your position, I wouldn't be using that tone," snapped Yami Marik.

"I'll talk however I want to!" snapped Yami Bakura.

WHAM! Yami Marik punched him in the stomach. Yami Bakura half-curled up, though he was trying to look like he wasn't in pain.

"This has gone far enough!" exclaimed Yami. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"You had better be glad it's him and not you," replied Yami Marik. It didn't matter what they said, they could not dampen his mood any.

"Save your breath, pharaoh," growled Yami Bakura.

"Don't you care at all about what he may do?!" demanded Yami.

Yami Bakura glared disdainfully at Marik. "It's his fault I'm here in the first place! He'll get no pity from me!"

"I grow tired of your lip, tomb robber," said Yami Marik. He walked back to the table and picked up a rather filthy rag. Then, he turned to Yami Bakura and gagged him. Yami Bakura struggled, but there was little he could do with his hands tied.

"That's much better!" laughed Yami Marik. Yami Bakura glared. That was all he could do, and glare he did.

"Stop this already!" demanded Yami.

"Never, pharaoh," replied Yami Marik. "However, I enjoy hearing what you have to say. Your pathetic attempts to try and help." He laughed. "I enjoy watching you squirm. Now, this boy dies."

Yami Marik once again turned to Marik. He set the blade of his knife along one of the lines of his tattoo. "Do you remember the day you got this?" Yami Marik asked him, sinisterly. "That was the day the hatred in your heart grew so great it created me. Now, I will destroy you. But first, I am going to make you relive every painful moment of that day." He pushed the knife in deep, about half an inch, and dragged it across the tattoo line.

Marik's head snapped up, his violet eyes wide open in horror. The pain on his back was forcing him to remember the worst day of his life in stunningly clear details.

Yami Marik moved up with the knife, following the lines marring Marik's back. Marik gasped in pain and tried to struggle away from the knife-edge, but to no avail. Yami Marik turned the knife again, this time tracing the design along Marik's low back. Marik was clearly doing everything he could not to scream. His blood was flowing, and red drops began to spot the floor beneath him.

"Leave him alone!" Yami bellowed.

WHAM! Yami Marik hit him as hard as he could in the jaw. Yami was stunned, literally seeing stars for a moment. When he could focus, he was truly surprised to notice that his jaw wasn't broken or dislocated.

Yami Marik continued to trace Marik's tattoo with the knife. Before he had even half finished, Marik's head had dropped to his chest again and he was making noises that sounded like a half whimper, half sob. Yami Yu-Gi had tried to interject on Marik's behalf, but had only been punched. Yami Bakura looked like he had some nasty things to say to all of them, but the gag saw to it that those words went unspoken.

When Yami Marik finished, Marik's back was completely blood red. His blood was starting to form a small puddle on the floor. Yami Marik's hands were telltale red. Marik was still sobbing, and his dark side saw this and laughed. Forcing him to relive those memories like that was probably the worst thing he could have done to Marik.

Yami Marik walked back to the table in the middle of the room and placed the small knife back where he had picked it up. He then selected a long, narrow knife that was probably a foot long. He turned back to Marik and held the knife right in front of his face. "This will be the one to kill you." Marik didn't reply. If he could collapse, he would have. His legs weren't supporting his weight again; he was merely dangling from his arms.

"Stay away from him!" demanded Yami. "You have done enough damage already!"

Yami Marik grinned and kicked the legs out from under Yami, forcing him to hang from his arms until he could regain his footing.

"Don't worry, he won't die quickly, I guarantee that," said Yami Marik. With that he shoved the dagger several inched into Marik's right shoulder. Marik's head jerked up and he screamed in pain.

"Marik! Hang in there!" called Yami. "You must be strong! It's your own will that will determine if you live or die!"

He couldn't help but notice Yami Bakura's disdainful glare. His thoughts were written across his face, _"The boy has already given up."_

Another scream brought Yami Yu-Gi's attention back to Marik. Yami Marik had stabbed him in his upper right thigh, forcing Marik to put all his weight on his left. That didn't last long. Laughing, Yami Marik knifed Marik in his left leg, making it impossible for Marik to stand without feeling great pain. More blood was spotting the floor. Marik was breathing in ragged gasps. He wavered a bit, and probably would have fallen if he could.

"You're a monster!" yelled Yami.

Yami Marik didn't answer, he just grinned malevolently at Marik. He raised the knife and drove it a few inches in Marik's upper left bicep. Now, Marik couldn't even hang without putting pressure on his injuries. He screamed when the knife went in, but it sounded weak.

Yami Marik was laughing, thoroughly enjoying the pain he was inflicting. He raised the knife again, and this time pushed it into Marik's abdomen. Too hurt to scream, Marik only jerked on the chains, his eyes wide.

"Marik! No!" yelled Yami.

For once, Yami Bakura seemed to have nothing to say. He looked away, the usual hatred his face shown was simply not there. It was hard to hate someone when he was about to be murdered.

Yami Marik laughed as Marik whimpered in pain, the knife hovering only a few inches away from his heart. "Now, to end you!"

He lowered the knife one inch and plunged it in all the way. It missed Marik's heart by that one inch, but still hit a few arteries, as well as piercing his lung. This was the first time Yami Marik had driven the knife in its full length. A few inches were poking out of Marik's back. Blood was dripping out of both ends of his newest wound. However, Yami Marik did not pull the knife out. He left it in, knowing that Marik would die more slowly that way.

Marik hung limply from the chains, gasping for breath. His attempts to draw in air sounded like cries of pain, which they were. His own blood was forming a puddle beneath his feet.

Yami Marik stepped back, like an artist admiring his work, "I'll enjoy watching you gasp out your last minutes here."

But then he looked over his shoulder towards the door, as if he heard a noise the others didn't. With a curse under his breath he hurried out of his soul room. Something outside of his mind demanded his attention.

"Marik! Marik!" called Yami. "Look at me! Focus! You have to stay strong to survive this!"

"Please…" gasped Marik with a shudder. He could taste blood in his mouth, which had formed there when he tried to breathe with his injured lung. "Please…remember…to ………tell… …them."

His whole body went limp. Marik had blacked out from the pain.

"Marik! Listen to me! Say something!" urged Yami, ignoring the looks Yami Bakura was giving him. Yami Yu-Gi began to look around the room, for anything he could reach, anything that could help.

CLANK! Yami looked back to his right. The knife that had been in Marik's chest had hit the floor. Marik was gone. The chains that had held him swung a few inches back and forth. But all signs of Marik even being there was gone, even the blood on the floor. Yami Bakura was looking away, oddly.

"Marik!" called Yami. "No! Marik…"

But Marik could not answer. Marik was dead.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ishizu had felt it like a cold slap of water in the face. She stood up suddenly with a gasp.

"Marik!" she whispered. She searched her heart for the light she recognized as her brother. But she could not find it anywhere. "N-No…" She slid back into her seat, aghast. It took about three seconds for it all to register. When she finally could grasp the truth about what had happened, she burst into tears for one of the first times in her life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 


	5. The Search For Shayla

The next morning the group was in for a surprise when they looked out of the windows.

"Guys! Look!" exclaimed Tristan in the Dining Hall where they had gathered for breakfast. "We're moving!"

It was true. The airship was now flying along at a nice clip, and nothing but blue ocean could be seen in any direction.

"Woah!" exclaimed Téa.

Mokuba walked over. "They managed to fix the engine last night, and Seto ordered the ship to take off immediately. We've been flying for about six hours now. If all goes well, we should be able to make it back to Domino by this time tomorrow."

"That long?!" exclaimed Tristan. "It didn't take us that long to get out here!"

"I know!" said Mokuba. "But the engine isn't up to full capacity. Hey! Don't look me that way! We're doing the best we can!"

"Tristan, calm down," urged Téa.

Before Tristan could answer, the door opened. Duke and Kevin entered, escorting Serenity. Serenity looked awful. She was pale and her eyes were still puffy from crying. She also looked like she hadn't slept at all that night. It had taken everything Duke and Kevin could do to get her to leave the hospital wing for a meal.

"Hey, Serenity," called Tristan. "Come here and look at this. We're on our way back home."

Serenity sniffed, "T-that's good."

"Cheer up, we'll be getting your brother to a real hospital soon," said Duke. "Now sit down and have something to eat."

"Okay…" said Serenity, softly.

They walked over to the closest table and sat down. It was a quiet meal; hardly anyone had anything to say. And no one ate much, most were too worried. Serenity hardly touched the bagel in front of her.

About ten minutes later, Drake and Lara entered.

"Where have you two been?" asked Téa. "Take that back, I don't want to know."

Lara gave her a steady look. "We were looking for Shayla."

"Where is she?" asked Mokuba.

"Don't know," replied Drake. "We couldn't find her, and we looked everywhere. She hasn't been seen in the hospital wing since yesterday. Her room is looked. She wasn't in Mai's room. Ishizu hasn't seen her…"

"We were hoping she had made it here for breakfast," added Lara. "So much for that idea."

"Well, people don't just disappear," said Kevin.

"With Marik still running around…" Téa trailed off.

"Do you think she's in trouble?" asked Duke.

"I hope not," replied Téa. "But we still need to find her. It's been half a day since anyone has seen her."

"Maybe it's just bad luck," said Tristan. "You know, we just keep missing her."

"I hope that's the case," said Drake, grimly.

"You don't think Marik would really hurt her, though, do you?" asked Kevin.

"She does have a Millennial Item," commented Téa. "I don't like this. We need to find her, and fast."

"I'll come with you," volunteered Lara.

"Hey Serenity," said Tristan, trying to snap her out of her melancholia. "Why don't you come with me? We can see if Shayla is in the hospital wing and check on Joe and Yu-Gi while we are there."

"Oh…okay…" said Serenity, apathetically.

"I'll come with you," said Duke. Tristan glared at him, but said nothing.

"I'll see if Seto knows anything!" chimed Mokuba.

"Go right on ahead, Mokuba," said Kevin. No one else was willing to talk to Kaiba.

"Well, let's get going," said Drake. "No point in sitting around here."

"You're right," agreed Duke as they all stood up.

"Just be careful in case Marik shows up," cautioned Tristan as they all went their separate ways.

"I hope my brother is okay," sniffed Serenity.

"I'm sure he's on the road to recovery," said Kevin.

"And soon we can get him and Yu-Gi to a real hospital, where they can get the help they need," added Tristan.

"Serenity, just don't give up hope on your brother," said Duke. "Because I know he'd never give up hope."

"I know…I'm trying," replied Serenity. "But…But…Mai…."

The two boys went quiet for a moment, not sure what to say to that.

Tristan took a deep breath before he answered, "We're on our way back to the city. Joe will get real help. I'm sure he'll make it through this."

"Yeah," agreed Kevin. "And with you there by him all the time, you know he isn't going to just give up."

"Thanks guys," said Serenity.

"Don't mention it, that's what friends are for," said Kevin as he pushed open the door of the hospital wing.

"How are they?" Duke immediately asked the first doctor he saw.

"No improvement," he replied. "But, they haven't changed for the worst either."

"Joe!" called Serenity, hurrying to the empty seat by her brother's bed. "I'm here for you! And I'm not going to leave you!"

"Hey Yu-Gi," said Tristan to the other unconscious figure. "Hang in there bud, okay? We're on our way to a hospital; we'll get you help. So keep fighting, because we haven't given up yet."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I have no idea where she could be," sighed Lara as they failed to locate Shayla.

"This ship is big, but it's not that big," said Drake. "I am really beginning to think Marik might have done something."

"I don't even want to think about that!" exclaimed Téa. "We have to keep trying!"

"Where do you suggest we look?" asked Lara. "Because I am out of ideas."

"Well…um…" stammered Téa.

"I think we should head back to the hospital wing and see how everyone is," said Drake.

"Okay, okay," conceded Téa. "But we're not that far from Shayla's room. Let's check there one more time, just in case."

"Fine," said Drake. "But I doubt we're going to find her."

"Come on then," said Téa, leading the way to Shayla's room. The couple followed.

The halls seemed way too quiet as they walked along. No one was in the area, namely because everyone else was in the hospital wing. Téa knocked on Shayla's door.

"Shayla? Are you in there?" Téa called.

No answer.

"I didn't think so," said Drake.

Téa tried to doorknob. "It's still locked."

"Let's go, no point standing around here," said Drake.

"Wait a moment," said Lara as she put an ear to the door. "I hear something in there."

"Like what?" asked Téa.

"Sounds like someone is crying," answered Lara.

"Shayla! Shayla!" called Téa, pounding on the door. "Open up! It's us!"

No answer.

"Why won't she open the door?" asked Drake.

"Well, she sounds really upset…" commented Lara.

"Shayla! Please open the door!" said Téa.

Again, no answer.

"Shayla, come on!" called Drake.

No response.

In the brief pause of silence, they could hear footsteps coming their way.

"Oh no, I hope that isn't who I think it is…" muttered Lara. "Everyone else is in the hospital wing…oh no…"

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Drake said.

They all froze, afraid that Yami Marik would walk around the corner at any moment. They were rather surprised when someone did walk around the corner. It wasn't Yami Marik; it was Seto Kaiba.

"Kaiba?!" gasped Téa. "What are you doing here?"

Kaiba glared at her, he never liked people questioning his actions. "Walking," he replied, coldly.

Drake muttered something under his breath that caused Lara to prod him rather hard with her elbow so that no one else would hear her boyfriend's comment.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba asked them.

"We're trying to get Shayla to answer the door," said Téa, a bit snappishly.

"Oh?" asked Kaiba. He seemed a bit surprised.

"Yes," said Lara. She crossed her arms defiantly.

Téa turned back to the door, rolling her eyes so that Kaiba couldn't see her and knocked again. "Come on Shayla, we know you're in there."

"How do you know?" asked Kaiba.

"We can hear her crying, okay?" retorted Lara.

"Shayla! Open up!" called Téa, who was beginning to sound frustrated. But again the blind girl did not reply.

"Do you think she might be hurt?" asked Drake.

"I didn't think about that," admitted Téa.

"Let me," said Kaiba, coldly. He pulled out the master key to the ship.

"Sure you should be doing that?" asked Drake, skeptically.

Kaiba gave him a venomous glare. "If she's in trouble, we need to be able to help."

"You actually want to help someone? I'm shocked," said Drake.

Kaiba gave him another hard look before opening Shayla's door.

"Shayla?" called Téa, who was the first to enter.

Drake and Lara followed her in. Kaiba leaned against the doorframe, watching. Shayla was sitting on the bed. Her knees were pulled close to the chest. She was crying into a pillow on her lap. She was hugging her legs tightly, so she looked like she was curled up into a ball. She didn't even acknowledge those who just entered.

"Shayla? Are you okay?" asked Téa. She walked over to the bed and put an arm around the blind girl. Shayla didn't even respond to that.

"Hey, Shayla, are you…do you want to talk?" asked Lara.

Again, no answer. Shayla just sobbed into the pillow. She was shaking she was crying so hard.

"She's upset," said Téa, at length. "Probably…probably because of what happened to Mai."

"Come on Shayla, get up," urged Lara. "We're going for a walk, it will do you some good."

That still failed to get a response out of her.

Téa pulled the pillow away from Shayla. Now they could see that Shayla wasn't exactly crying. There were no more tears. Instead, she was half-sobbing, half-shaking.

"Pull yourself together," said Drake.

Shayla did even seem to hear him.

"Shayla, will you please say something?" asked Téa. No answer. "Did you hear me?" No answer.

"She's taking this a lot harder than I thought," said Lara.

"I think it's worse than that," said Drake, after a few moments thought. "She seems to be in a state of shock."

"What do you mean?" asked Téa.

"Well…It's like the lights are on but no one is home," said Drake. "M-Mai's death must have hit her really hard, and now she's sort of…lost."

"Oh my!" gasped Lara. "But…what can we do?"

"I'm not sure," answered Drake. "But I don't think she sound stay here."

Téa pulled Shayla to her feet, and Shayla didn't even try to resist. "Come on, let's go for that walk." She began to escort Shayla to the door, walking right passed Kaiba without even looking at him. Kaiba seemed more than surprised to see the blind girl like this. Lara and Drake followed Téa out. Kaiba waited until they were out of sight, then went the opposite direction.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't think I can take much more of this," said Tristan, impatiently, as he looked around the hospital wing.

"Calm down," said Kevin. "Joe and Yu-Gi need you here."

"I need to take a walk," said Tristan, sounding rather irritated.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Duke, but Tristan was already walking out of the door.

Kevin and Duke exchanged a look but said nothing.

Tristan walked rather briskly through the halls, heading towards one of the open-air passages. It was starting to get to him, seeing so many of his friends hurt. He knew he needed a breath of fresh air to calm down.

WHAM! He turned to corner and collided with someone.

"Watch where you're going!" snapped Tristan before he even realized who he had bumped into. It was Yami Marik. "Oh no…"

Yami Marik laughed as Tristan suddenly looked like a trapped rat. He grabbed Tristan by the collar and pushed him into the wall.

"What's the deal?!" demanded Tristan, trying to break free of Yami Marik. But his grip was like iron. "Let me go!"

"Not until I have what I want," replied Yami Marik.

"What are you talking?" asked Tristan.

"Where is Obelisk the Tormentor?" asked Yami Marik.

"I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!" snapped Tristan.

In response, Yami Marik raised him a few inches off of the ground. "I need Obelisk to release the power that will make the world mine! Yu-Gi had that card during our duel and now it is gone! That means one of you must have done something with it. You were closest to him. Where is Obelisk?"

"I told you I don't know!" exclaimed Tristan as he tried to break Yami Marik's grip from his neck.

"I will find out one way or another," growled Yami Marik, raising the Millennial Rod to the side of Tristan's head. Tristan's eyes went wide and he tried to pull away from it. "So, you do believe in the power of my rod."

"Let me go you psychopath!" exclaimed Tristan, who was trying not to panic.

"Not until I find where Obelisk is!" growled Yami Marik.

He began to use the Millennial Rod. Tristan gasped as the object by his right cheekbone began to glow.

WHAM! It was like something inside of his head exploded. Tristan didn't remember anything after that for a long time but darkness.

When he finally came around he was laying on the hallway floor, dazed. His head was throbbing painfully, but that seemed to be the only injury he had. Yami Marik was nowhere to be seen.

"Ugh…" groaned Tristan as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "This has gotten way out of hand…"


	6. Tragedy and Prophecy

"Hey guys," said Téa to Duke, Serenity, and Kevin as she entered the hospital wing. "How are they?"

"Still the same…" sighed Kevin.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Duke.

"The Kaibas, who knows? And Drake and Lara are trying to get through to Shayla," answered Téa. "Poor girl is practically in shock now."

"Oh no!" gasped Kevin. "Will she be okay?"

"I hope so. I hope Drake and Lara can snap her out of it," said Téa. "Serenity, are you okay?"

Serenity was staring blankly forward at her brother's unmoving form.

"I…I," started Serenity, not sure how to answer. "I'm worried…"

"We all are," said Téa. "But we have to keep hoping for the best."

"You're right, Téa," said Serenity with a sniff. "Joe was there when I was in the hospital for my operation, so I'm going to be right here for him."

"I'm worried about Yu-Gi," said Duke. "He doesn't look good at all."

"It's because Marik is out of control," said Tristan with a groan as he walked in.

"You don't look so good yourself," said Duke.

"I had a run-in with that nutcase," said Tristan.

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Kevin.

"I wish I was joking, my head is still pounding," said Tristan. "He's trying to track down Obelisk, and he thought I had it. It's not safe to be walking around alone. That nut will do anything to get the last god card." He looked around and saw several alarmed faces, so he decided it was best to change the topic. "How are they doing?"

"Nothing has changed," answered Téa.

"I hate this!" exclaimed Tristan. Then he winced, the yelling hurting his headache. "I feel so helpless…"

"I know," said Kevin. "We all feel the same way."

"We aren't completely helpless," said Téa. "We're here for them. We're friends, and our bonds of friendship have gotten us through some rough times before."

Tristan nodded, "Hear that Yu-Gi, Joe?"

"I don't think they can hear anything, Tristan," replied Duke.

"You're such a pessimist," scolded Tristan.

"Guys, don't fight, please," asked Serenity. "Joe and Yu-Gi wouldn't want you to be fighting."

"You're right," sighed Tristan and Duke.

"You have to hang in there, you just have to," said Téa to the unmoving figures.

"They'll be fine," said Tristan.

"How can you all be so sure?" asked Serenity, glancing over to the bed Mai used to have. The staff had moved her during the night.

"Because I can't imagine what would happen if they didn't recover…" said Téa, softly.

"Didn't you say that if we could beat Marik that everyone might wake up, Téa?" asked Kevin.

"Well…yes," admitted Téa.

"You'll just have your own bed in here if you consider trying to take him on," Duke said to Kevin.

"Hey!" Kevin started to protest.

"Sorry Kevin, but I have to agree with dice-boy here," said Tristan. "None of us can stand up to that Millennial Rod." His headache only served as a reminder. "And now that Marik has the Millennial Puzzle…"

"The Millennial Puzzle!" gasped Téa. "Maybe…if we can get that back to Yu-Gi, he'll wake up. Then he can help Joe!"

"And how do you think we'll get it back?" Tristan asked. "Walk up to Marik and ask him to hand it over? That isn't going to happen. Approaching him is like committing suicide. Ugh…" His head throbbed.

"I know the puzzle belongs to Yu-Gi and all," said Duke. "But Tristan is right, Marik isn't going to let it go. He's done nothing but talk about getting that puzzle since the finals started."

BEEEEEEEP! There was a loud, high-pitched buzz from one of the machines.

"Oh no, oh no," gasped the group. They knew it could only mean one thing.

In a flash the medical staff was racing to Joe's bedside.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave so we can work," said one of the doctors.

"NO! My brother!" cried Serenity as the heart monitor connected to him continued to buzz.

"Come on Serenity, we need to give them space," said Tristan as he literally pulled her out of the room.

"No, Joe!" cried Serenity as they shut the door with the group standing in the hallway. She burst into tears.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening," Kevin was saying over and over.

"Please no…" murmured Téa, who looked like she would join Serenity in crying.

Duke had a look of complete helplessness on his face. He seemed to be at a total loss for words.

They all waited in a very tense silence. No one seemed to have anything to say that could bring hope to the grim situation. Each person present was straining to hear what was going on behind the closed doors. But the only things they could hear were the frantic voices of the doctors and the muffled buzz of the heart monitor.

The few minutes they were standing seemed like an eternity. The silence was nearly unbearable. Lumps were forming in their stomachs as they hoped against hope. But what was far worse than that was the moment the buzz stopped five minutes later. There was a universal gasp from the five teens as they all looked at the door as if they were trying to see through it.

"Joe…please…" whispered Serenity, the only one who found her voice.

It was another short eternity before Tristan spoke, "What…what do you…think?" But he couldn't finish.

A few seconds later the door opened and a doctor emerged.

"What happened? How is my brother? Is he okay?" demanded Serenity.

"It's…he's…" stammered the doctor.

"Tell us doctor," said Duke.

The doctor looked down and sadly shook his head.

"Oh no…no…" said Téa, horrified.

"That doesn't mean what I think it means," said Kevin.

"We're sorry," said the doctor in a dry voice. "We did everything we could…But…Mr. Wheeler…he didn't make it."

"NO!" screamed Serenity, pushing passed him and running into the room.

"Miss Wheeler! Wait!" protested the doctor, following her.

"I don't believe this," said Duke. He looked into the hospital wing cautiously, then entered.

"Not Joe, not Joe…" said Kevin, too stunned to feel any emotions.

Tristan, however, looked about ready to cry himself, though he was holding it in. Without a word he walked over to his friend's body.

Téa didn't enter the room, she merely stood in the doorway, tears silently falling down her face. She listened to what two nearby doctors were saying, without them realizing she was eavesdropping.

"…and for no apparent reason?" one asked the other.

The second doctor nodded, "I can't make heads or tails of what's happening to these kids, although anyone can tell it's serious."

"We know that whatever it is, it has to be connected," said the first. "The first time Mr. Wheeler's life signs dropped when Miss Valentine flat-lined. Now, Mr. Motou's life signs have dropped, right at the moment Mr. Wheeler flat-lined."

Téa had to duck into the hallway to hide a gasp of surprise and horror. She had a feeling of dread that if something wasn't done soon, Yu-Gi wouldn't make it to the Domino Hospital.

"His puzzle…" she whispered. "He needs his puzzle…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kaiba knocked on Ishizu's door.

"Come in, Seto Kaiba," she said, in a somber tone.

Kaiba turned to doorknob and it swung open. Ishizu had her back to him. She was staring out of the window at the ocean below. There was something about how she was holding herself that seemed odd.

"What brings you here?" she asked him.

Kaiba started to answer, but stopped and asked, "Are you okay?"

Ishizu turned to face him and he could tell that she had been crying, which surprised him. It was enough to cause him to drop the icy tone he loved to use.

"What happened?" he asked again.

Ishizu took a deep breath so she could answer steadily. "My brother is dead. He died last night…"

"What do you mean? I saw him in the halls an hour ago."

She turned away and looked back out of the window. "I don't expect you to understand, you have tried to deny magic for too long…My brother was overwhelmed by his darker side. Last night his dark side became so powerful that it completely destroyed my brother's good soul."

"That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

"There were two forces within my brother, and they became two separate minds. One murdered the other. But you have no answered my question. What brings you here?" she turned around to face him, much more composed.

"Ironically, your brother," replied Kaiba, some of the ice coming back. "I don't know what he is planning, but it seems to require the three god cards and the stupid necklace of Yu-Gi's."

"He wants the power to control the world," answered Ishizu.

Kaiba ignored her last comment, "Well, right now he only has two of the god cards. And I know he'll hurt anyone who gets in his way to get the last one. I can't let that happen, it will give Kaiba Corp., this tournament, and even me a bad reputation."

"That still does not answer my question," Ishizu pointed-out.

Kaiba help up Obelisk the Tormentor. "I found this in Yu-Gi's hand when I went into the hospital wing. You know your brother best, take it." He shoved it into her hand before she could protest and before he could have second thoughts. "You should know the best way to keep it out of his hands."

Ishizu was looking at Obelisk with wide-eyes, _"When I still possessed the Millennial Necklace I had foreseen Seto Kaiba returning Obelisk to me…But I had no idea the circumstances would be so grave!"_

"I am surprised at you, Seto Kaiba," said Ishizu. "You willingly gave a powerful card to someone else."

"Two people have died already," replied Seto Kaiba, shortly. "I intend to do everything I can to see to it that that stops." With that he turned and walked out of the door.

Ishizu turned and once again resumed staring out of the window. But now she felt uneasy. It took her a moment to realize why.

"Shayla hasn't been here in a day…" she whispered. Ishizu didn't need the Millennial Necklace to tell her that there was trouble. She tucked Obelisk in a safe spot and left her room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Shayla, please say something," Lara asked. But the blind girl was no more responsive than she had been all day.

"I wonder if she even hears us," said Drake.

Ishizu knocked on the door, which was opened.

"Oh, hi Ishizu," greeted Lara, who seemed to be a bit surprised to see Ishizu walking around.

"Hello Lara, Hello Drake," replied Ishizu, politely.

"Can we help you with something?" asked Drake.

"Actually, I would like a word with Shayla, alone," answered Ishizu. "I am sure you two want to see how your friends are doing in the hospital wing."

"That's true," admitted Drake. "But I don't think you'll get a word out of Shayla. We haven't had any luck."

"I'll see what I can do," replied Ishizu.

"Well, thanks for taking over here," said Lara as she stood up. "We'll come back in an hour or so."

Ishizu nodded, "No, thank you Lara. You two had better be careful on your way."

"We know, we know," said Drake. "Trust me, we know."

He took Lara's hand and they both left the room.

Ishizu sat down next to Shayla on her bed. Shayla had once more buried her face in a pillow, while hugging her knees.

"Shayla?" asked Ishizu, tentatively.

Shayla didn't answered, although her head did move a bit, as if she was listening. This was the biggest response anyone had gotten all day.

Ishizu put an arm around her, much like a mother would a daughter. Shayla let go of the pillow and it fell to the floor with a muffled thud. She turned around and hugged Ishizu tightly, while sobbing her eyes out. Ishizu embraced her too, and found herself fighting to keep back tears. But they would not be stopped. Ishizu and Shayla sat there crying together, mourning, because they had both lost the person closest to them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 


	7. Hope, Friendship, and Cruelty

Serenity was inconsolable. That doesn't mean Duke and Tristan didn't try, but they had no luck reaching her. She was practically in hysterics. Duke and Tristan were both more than stunned, although they weren't crying. Kevin was explaining what had happened to Drake and Lara, who had only just entered. Téa had disappeared from the hospital wing.

"I don't believe it…" said Drake. "It's…"

"It's too much," said Lara, sadly.

"I never thought that anything like this would happen…" added Kevin.

"None of did," said Tristan, dejectedly. "Because you can bet that if I knew this would happen, I would have done something to stop it!"

"I don't know what to do any more," said Duke, looking helplessly over at Yu-Gi.

"We need to snap him out of it!" exclaimed Tristan.

"How?" asked Drake.

"There has to be something…some way…" Tristan trailed off. He turned his back to them, so they could not see him biting back tears.

"If anyone has any ideas, I am willing to hear them," said Lara.

There was silence, save for Serenity's sobbing.

"Maybe we should try to get her back to her room so she can rest or something…" suggested Kevin.

"With Marik still loose? I don't think that's a good idea," said Duke. Kevin shrugged.

"We've been together through so much…" said Tristan. "And now…it's over…"

"It's not over yet," said Drake. "We're less than a day from the city. We'll get Yu-Gi to the hospital."

"And Bakura too," added Lara.

"How is Bakura doing, anyways?" asked Kevin.

"I don't know, they won't tell us anything about him," said Tristan. Then, with determination, he walked across the room the where Bakura's bed was curtained off.

"Stop there!" said one of the doctors.

"Why?" asked Tristan, a bit harshly. He had his hands on the curtain. "I want to know how my friend is doing."

"He's fine," replied the doctor, quickly. "But he needs his rest, so leave him alone!"

Tristan gave him a wicked frown and pulled open the curtains. The bed was empty.

"What gives?! Where's Bakura?!" demanded Tristan.

"What are you…He's gone!" exclaimed Duke.

"He's…" stammered the doctor. Every eye in the room turned to him, waiting for an explanation. "He hasn't been in here since the end of the first rounds. We don't know where he is at either. Mr. Motou requested that we keep his disappearance quiet and pretend that he was still here."

"Yu-Gi?" asked Kevin, a bit surprised. "But why would he do that? What's going on?"

"I do not know the answer to that," said the doctor.

"What if something happened to him? Bakura's hurt! He can't just be walking around who knows where!" exclaimed Duke.

"I agree," said Drake. "Haven't you tried to find him at all?"

"Mr. Motou made it quite clear that Mr. Ryou was no long our concern," said the doctor.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" demanded Tristan.

"Yu-Gi's the only one who could answer that," said Lara. "And it looks like he isn't going to be doing any answering for a while."

"But what was he thinking? And why didn't he tell us?" asked Tristan.

"We don't have the answers," shot Drake. "So you can calm down."

"I guess we have to trust Yu-Gi," said Kevin. "He obviously had a reason, and we have to assume it is for the best."

"I'd hate to say it, but you're probably right," sighed Duke.

"What do you mean?!" demanded Tristan. "We need to find Bakura before he ends up in even worse shape!"

"And you need to calm down," repeated Drake.

"It was bad enough losing Joe, I am not going to lose another friend," said Tristan. "I am going to find Bakura."

"You know Marik is on the warpath!" protested Lara. "He already jumped you once!"

"I don't care, my friends are worth the risk," said Tristan. "If you don't want to come, fine. Keep an eye on Yu-Gi for me." He walked to the door.

"You're not going alone," said Duke. "I'm coming with you."

"Thanks, dice-boy," replied Tristan.

"Lay off," retorted Duke as they left the hospital wing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Téa walked quietly through the halls, trying not to alert anyone to the fact that she was there while trying not to look like she was a spy. But there were few people roaming the airship to begin with, which made everything easier on her.

_"Okay…so far so good,"_ she said to herself. _"His room is this way…"_ She turned a corner down another empty passageway. _"You have no plan, do you, Téa?"_ She bit her lip. _"Let's just hope he is out…and that he left the door open…and the he left the Millennial Puzzle in his room…"_

It would be a lie to say that she wasn't nervous about trying to take the Millennial Puzzle back from Yami Marik, but something much stronger drove her. It was the bond of friendship she had with Yu-Gi that she always talked about.

Téa turned another corner. Now she was in the hall that led to Yami Marik's room. _"I need to get Yu-Gi's puzzle back. If he has his puzzle, he'll wake up. He needs his puzzle."_

She reached Yami Marik's room and placed a tentative hand on the doorknob. Before she turned it, she leaned forward and placed an ear against the door, listening for any sounds coming from the other side. It was silent.

_"He must be out,"_ thought Téa. _"I hope the Millennial Puzzle is inside…"_

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The room inside looked like all the others, similar furnishings and arrangements. It hardly looked like anyone had ever been in there at all.

_"Do I have the wrong room?"_ Téa wondered, looking around and noticing no personal belongings.

"Well, if it isn't little Téa," chuckled a deep voice from behind her.

Téa whirled around and came face to face with Yami Marik. Her eyes went wide. The look of fear written across her face caused Yami Marik to laugh.

"What are you doing here?" asked Yami Marik.

Téa gulped and stammered something incoherent.

"Are you looking for something?" smirked Yami Marik, holding up the Millennial Puzzle.

"That's Yu-Gi's!" protested Téa, before she knew what she was saying.

"It was Yu-Gi's," laughed Yami Marik. "How cute, you're trying to get it back for him." With his other hand, he was fingering his Millennial Rod, which was still clipped in his belt.

Téa once again stammered gibberish, her eyes darting around for a quick escape.

"I can't let you pests continue to walk around, thinking you can defy me," said Yami Marik, approaching her.

Téa took a step back, only to find she had nowhere to go. She was pressed against the hallway wall.

"St-stay away from me!" stammered Téa.

Yami Marik pulled out the Millennial Rod and Téa eyed it, warily. "Perhaps you know where Obelisk is. Tell me and I might spare you."

"I don't know," answered Téa, trying to inch away from him.

"I don't believe that," said Yami Marik, raising the rod.

WHAM! The moment he unleashed the power of the Millennial Rod it was like a small explosion happened in Téa's head. She wasn't even sure if she scream or not, the pain was so overwhelming.

She had no idea how long that moment lasted, but it seemed like forever. When she finally regained her senses, she was aware that she was on the ground on all fours. Yami Marik was standing over her, laughing at the pain she was in.

"You…you monster…" she managed to gasp.

"You don't have the information I want either," said Yami Marik. "But I was right. You're here to try and take the Millennial Puzzle from me. I can't allow that." He gave her one of his most evil smiles.

Téa struggled to her feet. "I'm not going to be intimidated by you," she spat. "And I'm not going to let you continue to hurt my friends!"

"You should be more worried about yourself," replied Yami Marik. He laughed. "With each on of your friends that I destroy, I grow stronger. And when I combine my strength with the Millennial Puzzle and the three god cards, I will be unstoppable!"

"We will find a way to stop you!" exclaimed Téa.

"You won't be doing anything," smirked Yami Marik. He unsheathed the point on his Millennial Rod2. "Except make me stronger, that is."

(2See the Japanese version of the anime.)

Téa's face once again shone with fear. She tried to race passed Yami Marik, but he grabbed her arm and held her tight. She winced in pain as he nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"You're going to die," he said into her ear. "Just like your friend that you are trying so hard to save."

Before Téa could struggle to break free or even open her mouth to protest, Yami Marik drove the point of the Millennial Rod into her side as deep as he could push it. Before she could scream, Yami Marik clapped his free hand over her mouth, so she wouldn't alert anyone else until it was too late.

He raised the Millennial Rod again and drove it into her back several more times, laughing the entire time. Téa slumped to the ground, more dead than alive. She was bleeding profusely from all the injuries she had just acquired.

Yami Marik picked her up by the back of her shirt collar. She hung limply in his hands. "Good-bye, Téa," laughed Yami Marik as he stabbed her one more time in the back. This time it went right through to her heart. Her head jerked up as the rod pierced her body, then fell back to her chest.

Laughing even harder, Yami Marik through her down the flight of stairs that was across from his room. She hit the floor with a gruesome thud and didn't move, her own blood forming a pool around her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Bakura has been missing for days," said Duke. "And I have no idea where to begin looking for him."

"We have to try," said Tristan. "He probably needs serious medical help!"

"I'm not arguing with you there," said Duke. "But I still can't figure out why he walked away in the first place and why Yu-Gi didn't tell us."

"I bet Bakura just wanted to find a safe place away from Marik," said Tristan. "And I don't blame him."

They turned a corner and both stopped in their tracks. They found Téa, laying on the ground at an odd angle, surrounded by blood. The hall was a mess because of that.

THUD! The sight was enough to cause Duke to pass out from shock on the spot. Tristan stood there a moment, too stunned to move. But then he bent down and began to shake Duke, trying to wake him up.

"Duke? You still with me?" asked Tristan, trying to revive his friend.

"Ugh…" groaned Duke. He sat up, though he still felt a bit light-headed. "Oh…no…no…"

"Duke, I need you to go to the hospital wing and get the staff. I'm going to stay here and see if I can help Téa," said Tristan. "I know Marik is behind this. You need to hurry."

"R-right," agreed Duke, who still sounded a bit dazed. He turned and started back the way they had come.

"Téa?" called Tristan, tentatively, turning back to his other friend. He wasn't surprised when he didn't get a response.

Tristan eyed up the situation. Seeing no other alternative, he walked to her, though the blood. He crouched down and placed to fingers to the side of her neck. There was no movement; no breath, no pulse.

"No…Not you too Téa," whispered Tristan. The first tears were out before he could stop them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Duke's head was slowly clearing and he was starting to jog, trying to get back to the hospital wing quickly to get Téa help, not knowing it was too late.

"Not you!" exclaimed Duke as he turned a corner. Yami Marik was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

Yami Marik grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, "Where is Obelisk the Tormentor!?"

"I don't know!" snapped Duke. "Now let me go! I have to get to the hospital wing! Téa is hurt and she needs help!" Duke wasn't sure why he was telling this to Yami Marik, he knew he didn't care.

Yami Marik laughed. "Téa is dead."

"What? You! You're the one who hurt her!" exclaimed Duke, struggling to pull free.

"Yes I did," replied Yami Marik. "Where is Obelisk? I know one of you must be hiding it. You were one of the first to Yu-Gi when he lost the duel. Where is Obelisk?"

"I said I don't know!" protested Duke.

Yami Marik raised his Millennial Rod. "Then I'll find out the hard way!"

WHAM! Duke suddenly felt the whole world spinning. It was like someone had thrown a lit firecracker in his face. It was painful and everything blurred together. Duke wasn't sure if he blacked out again or not, but he might as well have.

When Duke came to, he was lying face down in the hallway. Yami Marik had walked away, not finding what he was looking for in Duke's mind. With a groan, Duke pushed himself off of the floor.

"What the heck was that?" he asked, rubbing his head. "Oh no! Téa!" He started running to the hospital wing.


	8. The Millennial Rod

Ishizu was still sitting in Shayla's room with the blind girl. Ishizu was composing herself. Shayla, however, was still in a state of shock and had not yet even said a word. She had stopped crying, simply because there were no tears left.

"Shayla, child, are you okay?" Ishizu asked, trying to urge her into conversation. But still Shayla said nothing. Ishizu sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. "Shayla? Do you even hear me?" No answer. Everyone else had gotten frustrated with trying to get a response out of her, but Ishizu had far more patience than they did.

"Shayla, please, just say something," said Ishizu, quietly. "We're all worried about you."

Shayla slowly let out a breath and raised her head a few inches, "I can hear them screaming…"

"What?" asked Ishizu, more than a bit surprised.

"The ones he is holding prisoner in his mind," said Shayla, distantly. "There used to be three voices, but now there is only two…" With that she fell silent again.

"Do you mean…those souls that my brother's dark half is hurting?" asked Ishizu. But Shayla did not answer. Try as she might, Ishizu could not get another word out of the blind girl.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"None of these fools know where Obelisk the Tormentor is!" _ fumed Yami Marik as his search for the remaining god card continued to turn up nothing. _"I must find that card in order to make the world mine! But where can it be? It must be on this ship somewhere!"_

He continued to roam the halls, looking for more victims and trying to locate the missing god card.

_"Perhaps my search would be easier if I claimed the remaining Millennial Items,"_ he thought. _"The Millennial Scales would certainly help find out who is hiding Obelisk. But claiming them will take valuable time!"_

He turned down another hallway. _"There is another way to increase my power, and that is by disposing of these fools. As I destroy them, my own strength increases. And I know just where to start! That fool Odion! He's the only one who ever posed a threat to me! Wait…"_ Yami Marik laughed. _"He is no longer a threat! He cannot force my other side to take control, because that side is dead!"_ He laughed again.

_"No, I must focus. Obelisk is my priority, and I know someone on this ship has it. But I have already searched the minds of Yu-Gi's closest friends and they don't have it!"_ He paused. _"I know. Seto Kaiba must have it. He has been obsessed with power from the beginning, though he doesn't know the true strength of the god cards. I bet he stole Obelisk back the moment the pharaoh was unconscious."_ He turned down a different corridor. _"I'm coming to claim what is mine, Seto Kaiba."_

Seto Kaiba's room wasn't hard to find. He had chosen the most private one. 'Do not enter' signs were placed on the double doors that surrounded his room. Yami Marik ignored the signs and entered the hall that Kaiba's room was on. He found Kaiba's room easy. It still had the large #1 on it, marking it as a finalist's room.

Yami Marik tried to doorknob, but it was locked. That wasn't near enough to stop him. He stepped back and raised the Millennial Rod. The blast blew the door off of its hinges. Yami Marik stepped through the shattered doorframe.

This room was one of the largest on the ship. It was cozy as well as spacious. But Seto Kaiba was not in it. However, someone else was.

"What…Oh no!" gasped Mokuba Kaiba.

"Where is Seto Kaiba?" asked Yami Marik in an ice-cold tone.

"What do you want with my brother?" asked Mokuba, was slowly backing further into the room.

Yami Marik's eyes narrowed. Then an idea hit him, _"This boy is Seto Kaiba's one weakness. I can use him to manipulate Kaiba into giving my Obelisk."_

"Get out of here before Seto finds you!" yelled Mokuba, trying to sound brave.

"He was the one I was hoping to talk to," smirked Yami Marik, pulling out the Millennial Rod. "I want Obelisk the Tormentor."

"Well, it's not here so get out!" snapped Mokuba. He knew there was little he could do against Yami Marik, but Mokuba had never been one to give up.

"Not without the third god card, and you're going to help me get it," replied Yami Marik, evilly. "Because I know Kaiba will do anything for you, even hand over the remaining god card." He took a step towards Mokuba.

WHAM! Something hit Yami Marik from behind. It hurt, but it wasn't near enough to stop the evil spirit. He turned around. Seto Kaiba was standing in the broken doorway, holding a piece of wooden that had once been part of the door.

"Stay away from my brother!" growled Kaiba.

"Seto!" exclaimed Mokuba happily.

"Mokuba, stand back and the first chance you get, run!" ordered Kaiba, who was glaring at Yami Marik.

"You're the one I'm primarily interested in," replied Yami Marik. "Where is Obelisk the Tormentor?"

"That card is none of your concern," spat Kaiba. Both were sizing each other up.

"You couldn't possibly understand the power of the god cards combined with the Millennial Items!" retorted Yami Marik, raising the rod and aiming the head of it at Kaiba. "Allow me to show you!"

He drew out the power of the rod that he had used against Tristan, Téa, and Duke. There was a flash of light from the Millennial Item as it began to work.

CRASH! Instead of hitting Kaiba, the beam of light swerved off and blasted another chunk out of the doorframe. Kaiba ducked as splinters showered down on him.

_"What is this?!"_ thought Yami Marik, frantically. _"The Millennial Rod refuses to harm Seto Kaiba! How can this be?! Can it be his connection to the past…?"_

"Nice trick," glowered Kaiba. "Let me show you one of my own, Marik!" Trying to distract Yami Marik long enough to let Mokuba run for it, he charged him. Kaiba aimed a punch at Yami Marik's gut, but he dodged it.

"You are a fool if you think you can beat me!" growled Yami Marik.

"Watch me!" Kaiba retorted, aiming another punch.

Yami Marik dodged this one too. Knowing that his Millennial Item was no long reliable, he swung a punch of his own. Kaiba threw his fist out of the way and landed a punch in Yami Marik's stomach. Yami Marik staggered back a few feet, the wind knocked out of him.

"You will regret that!" Yami Marik growled, now furious. He unsheathed the razor edge of the Millennial Rod.

Kaiba looked a bit wary now. Though he didn't believe in magic, he could tell a knife when he saw one. Yami Marik charged him. Kaiba jerked backwards and to the left and Yami Marik's attack missed. As he stepped passed Kaiba, Kaiba turned his right leg out, forcing Yami Marik to stumble over it.

They turned and faced each other again. Mokuba was cringing in the back of the room, unable to get passed them to the exit.

"You are trying my patience!" Yami Marik shouted.

"I know what you did," Kaiba countered. "You killed Téa. I've already radioed ahead. The police are ready to arrest you the moment we land, Marik."

"You'll be dead by then! And the power of the world will be mine!"

"You're insane!"

Yami Marik replied with another blast from his rod. But this one, like the first, swerved off of its target and blew a large hole in the wall. Kaiba looked over his shoulder, making sure his younger brother was unharmed. In that moment, Yami Marik attacked again, this time the Millennial Rod was point forward.

"Seto!" cried Mokuba.

Kaiba turned as Yami Marik brought him arm down. Kaiba reacted out of pure instinct. He reached at the air and managed to grab the Millennial Rod. He had gripped the blade and blood was dripping from his hand, but it was better than being stabbed. He brought his uninjured hand over and gripped the Millennial Rod above the blade.

"Let go!" demanded Yami Marik.

"Dream on!" spat Kaiba.

A tug-o-war developed between the two of them over the Millennial Rod. The rod cracked with power, unable to harm either of those holding it. It lashed out at inanimate objects around the room.

With a burst of strength, Kaiba wretched the Millennial Rod away from Yami Marik.

"That's mine!" bellowed Yami Marik.

He charged Kaiba, determined to get the rod back. Kaiba braced himself, ready to fight. He swung a punch at Yami Marik, but Yami Marik dodged it and quickly circled behind Kaiba. Yami Marik aimed an attack of his own. Kaiba swung back, blindly trying to defend himself.

Seto never felt the punch come so he quickly turned around to face Yami Marik. Yami Marik was doubled over, his eyes wide in pain. Kaiba gasped and backed up. When he had swung around to defend himself, he had driven the point of the Millennial Rod into Yami Marik's stomach and up into his lungs.

With a mangled gasp, Yami Marik slid to the ground. Kaiba took a step back, more than stunned by what he unknowingly did.

"Seto!" exclaimed Mokuba, hurrying over.

"Stay back Mokuba," urged Kaiba, never taking his eyes off of Yami Marik.

"Is he…?" asked Mokuba.

Yami Marik's eyes slid shut. His hair fell flat. In death, he looked like good Marik once again.

Kaiba placed a hand around Mokuba and turned him away, shielding him from the sight. Kaiba was still horrified at what he had done, even thought it was self-defense in the middle of the fight.

"Let's go Mokuba," said Kaiba, leading his brother from the room. "I'll call the medical staff to deal with this…"


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue…….

Duke and Tristan were the only ones in the hospital wing early the next morning. They had found the Millennial Puzzle and placed it in Yu-Gi's unconscious hands. They were now waiting anxiously, hoping he would wake up. If he didn't, they were about to give up hope.

"Ugh…" Yu-Gi groaned, faintly.

"I think he's waking up!" exclaimed Duke.

"Come on Yu-Gi! Say something!" urged Tristan.

"Ugh……..Tristan?" asked Yu-Gi, his eyes fluttering a little.

"Yu-Gi! You're awake!" exclaimed Tristan, embracing him.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Duke.

Yu-Gi struggled into a sitting position. "What happened?"

"You lost the duel with Marik," answered Tristan. "You've been in here for over two days now."

"But I still have my puzzle!" exclaimed Yu-Gi. "How is that possible? I thought Marik would have taken it."

"He did, but we got it back," answered Duke.

"You had us really worried," added Tristan. "We though we almost lost you."

"I'm okay, now," answered Yu-Gi, which was almost all true. "Where is everyone else?"

Tristan and Duke exchanged a look, not sure what to say.

Yu-Gi picked up on it instantly, "What happened?"

"Well…Drake, Lara, and Kevin just went to get breakfast," started Duke.

"Yeah, and Kaiba and Mokuba have shut themselves up in their room…you know," added Tristan.

"But what about Téa and Joe?" asked Yu-Gi.

Again, there was an uneasy silence.

"Are they okay? Did something happen to them?" asked Yu-Gi, now sounding a bit nervous.

"Yu-Gi, I hate to be the one to tell you this…but you have to know," started Tristan. He paused, searching for the right words. "It's been a nightmare here since you were knocked out."

"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi, anxiously.

"Right after you lost to Marik…we…we lost Mai," answered Duke.

"You don't mean…" said Yu-Gi, his eyes growing wide.

"She…she died," said Tristan swallowing.

"But…everyone…" stammered Yu-Gi.

"You and Joe both weren't doing too hot either," said Tristan. "But yesterday…Joe…he…"

"No, no, no, Joe's not dead, he can't be," gaped Yu-Gi.

Their expressions answered him.

"NO!" Yu-Gi cried.

"It's worse," said Duke. "Téa thought that getting the puzzle back to you would snap you out of it, so she went after Marik by herself… He…He killed her in cold blood."

"No…not Téa," said Yu-Gi, tears sliding down his face.

"Marik was completely out of control," said Tristan. "He went after the Kaibas next. He got into a fight with Kaiba, and got impaled on his own rod."

"Serenity and Shayla haven't stopped crying in days," added Duke. "And we have no idea where Bakura—"

The hospital wing opened and two doctors entered, carrying an unconscious Bakura between them.

"Bakura!" gasped the three guys.

"We found him unconscious in one of the upper halls," answered a doctor as they laid him down on one of the spare beds.

_/When Marik died, I guess that meant Bakura could get back from the Shadow Realm,/_ Yu-Gi said to Yami. _/What do you think Yami? Yami?/_

Yami did not answer. Curious, and feeling dread that something might have happened to another one of his friends, Yu-Gi entered Yami's soul room.

He didn't have far to look for his alter-ego. Yami was laying unconscious on the floor of his own soul room. He was beaten and bruised, his body was covered with abrasions.

"Yami!" called Yu-Gi, running to his side.

Yami didn't move.

"No, Yami," said Yu-Gi, trying wake him. But Yami didn't wake up. He had been beaten too badly by Yami Marik to recover easily.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Seto Kaiba knocked on the door of Ishizu's room.

"Come in," Ishizu said.

The door was once more unlocked. Kaiba opened it easily and entered. He was surprised to see that Ishizu wasn't alone. Odion was on the bed. As Kaiba watched, he groaned slightly, as if struggling to awaken. Also, Shayla was sitting quietly at the table.

"What brings you here?" Ishizu asked Kaiba.

"I thought you'd like to know that we'll be landing in half an hour," answered Kaiba. "In case you want to get Odion to a hospital." He glanced over at the bed, where Odion was laying. Odion seemed to be waking up, but wasn't near fully conscious yet.

"That won't be necessary," said Ishizu. "But thank you."

Kaiba shrugged and turned to leave. He glanced over at Shayla, wanting to say something to make her feel better. But one look at the dead expression on her face drove any encouraging words from his mind. But then Kaiba noticed the Millennial Necklace, laying on the table a few feet away from Shayla. Tristan had given it to Ishizu, but she wasn't sure if she should keep it or not, so there it sat. The Millennial Rod was next to the necklace, given to Ishizu by the medical staff. The Millennial Ring had disappeared again, but most thought it would reappear in Bakura's possession soon.

"Odion?" asked Ishizu, gently, walking over to her adopted older brother.

He groaned once, but did not reply.

"He will wake soon," said Ishizu. "Then…then we will head home, back to Egypt…" She looked away suddenly, thinking of Marik.

"Leaving? Already?" asked Kaiba.

"Yes," answered Ishizu. She walked back to the table and picked up the Millennial Rod, then walked over to Seto Kaiba and placed it in his hands. "This is yours now."

"W-what?" he gaped. He didn't like the thought of touching the thing, after he had used it to kill someone, even if it was unintentional.

"The Millennial Rod belongs to you now," said Ishizu.

"I don't want it," he replied, trying to hand it back to her. But Ishizu refused to accept it.

"It's yours," she said, forcefully. "In time, you will understand its powers."

"I don't believe in that garbage," he said, coldly.

Ishizu gave him a look that said 'tough luck and turned to Shayla. "You will be ready when we land, right?"

Shayla nodded slightly.

"What do you mean?" asked Kaiba.

"Shayla will be returning with us to Egypt," answered Ishizu.

"You will?" Kaiba asked Shayla, surprised.

"I have no reason to stay," she answered softly.

"I see," said Kaiba as he turned to leave. He could help but feel disappointment. He had missed his chance with her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The airship hovered over downtown Domino. A few of those on board gathered around the window to look out at the town below. It seemed so odd. It had not change a bit since they left. But they had all changed. Four of their closest friends had died, and that will leave a mark on anyone. Three more were slowly recovering from a nightmare experience. Then again, the entire past few days had been a living nightmare. The sun was bright and warm overhead, but inside the mood was somber and cold. Everything had changed.

**The End**


End file.
